Curved platen printing press



y 6, 1953 J. F. JIROUSEK CURVED PLATEN PRINTING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 5, 1947 INVENTOR.

JO65PH F'. J/RQUfiEK BY ATTORNEY-5.

y 6, 1953 J. F. JIROUSEK CURVED PLATEN PRINTING PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed June 5, 1947 INVENTOR.

J05EPH F. J/ROUJEK aTrola/vixs.

Patented May 26, 1953 CURVED PLATEN PRINTING PRESS Joseph F. Jirousek,Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Chandler & Price Company, Cleveland,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 5, 1947, Serial No. 752,732

This invention relates, as indicated, to platen printing presses andmore particularly to such presses in which a rolling contact is obtainedbetween the sheeton the platen and the form. It has long been recognized(see U. S. Patent No. 1,034,083 to Clark, dated July 30, 1912) thatthere are certain advantages in cylinder presses over the Gordon orplaten type press including the fact that the sheet to be printedcontacts the impression cylinder progressively with relatively littlearea in contact, whereas in the conventional Gordon press the entiresheet carried on the platen receives the full impression from the format one time. This calls for the application of a great deal of force andrequires great strength and rigidity in the supporting elements of thepress.

In my application Serial No. 672,631 Platen Printing Presses, filed May27, 1946, now U. S. Patent No. 2,602,396, I describe and claim a platenprinting press affording rolling contact of form and platen in a mannerto effect a firm and consistent reproducible impression. The presentinvention relates to certain improvements in the operating mechanism ofthis type of press.

It is most important that the means employed to move the platen into andout of impression position be firm and positive in their action and alsothat such means should not obstruct the platen and interfere with thefeeding of sheets to and the delivery of sheets from the same.

It is, therefore, a primary object of my invention to provide improvedoperating mechanism which will thus permit feeding and delivery of thesheets from either the forward edge or from the sides of the platen.Such mechanism is particularly arranged to facilitate so-calledcrossfeeding and delivery of the sheets wherein the sheets are fed fromone side of the platen and delivered to the other side.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the followingdescription proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description andthe annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrativeembodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but afew of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may beemployed.

In said annexed drawings- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of theupper portion of a platen printing press constructed in accordance withmy invention; and

4 Claims. (Cl. 101-297) Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of suchportion of such press.

Referrin now more particularly to the drawings, the main frame I of thepress supports the form bed 2 in which the usual chase and form (notshown) are adapted to be secured by the usual locking mechanism 3. Theframe is recessed at each side at 4 to permit the lower inking rollers 5and 6 to move inwardly after their downward passage across the formwhereby the upper inking roller 1 is enabled completely to traverse suchform. Tracks 8 are provided for such rollers leading from a conventionalfountain and distributing disk (not shown).

Mounted on said main frame to each side of said form bed 2 are racks 9extending downwardly from said form bed except where interrupted byrecess 4. A platen l0 having a convexly curved face adapted to engage inrolling contact a form carried by said form bed is provided with curvedracks ll along each side and extending downwardly therefrom. Said racksII on said platen are adapted to mesh with racks 9 on the main frame ofthe press in cooperative engagement whereby a precise positioning of theplaten relative to the form bed is obtained and preserved. Thedownwardly extending portion I2 of the platen I0 is more sharply curvedthan the sheet supporting face thereof and the corresponding portions ofracks II are likewise more sharply curved than in their upper portions.It will be seen, therefore, that when the platen I0 is rocked to aclosed position, as shown in dotand-dash lines in Fig. 2, the teeth ofracks 9 and II will progressively mesh, recess 4 being bridged withoutdifficulty, until rolling contact has been made with the entire face ofthe form. Because of the increased arcuity of the lower portions ofracks II, it will likewise be seen, as illustrated in solid line in Fig.2, that the platen in open position may be caused to assume asubstantially horizontal position thereby greatly facilitating thefeeding and delivery operations.

To operate the press, oscillating the platen between solid line and dashline positions of Fig. 2, the following means are provided:

A cam l3 having a large eccentric lobe is keyed to shaft I4 journalledin the main frame of the press. Two arms l5 and 16 carrying cam rollerl1 therebetween are keyed to rocker shaft 18 likewise journalled in suchmain frame. Roller I1 is adapted to engage said cam I3 whereby rockerarms I9 and 20 also keyed to shaft 18 are adapted to be oscillatedbetween solid and dash line positions, as shown in Fig. 2. The

upper ends 2| and 22 respectively 01' such rocker arms are pivotallyconnected to the upper portion of the platen Ill.

The lower portion [2 of such platen is provided at either side with camfollowers in the form of rollers 23 and 24 adapted to travel alongcamways 25 in side brackets 26 and 21 mounted on the main frame-=1.These cam-ways areidesigned properly to controYth'e movement'of thelower end of the platen as the same is rocked into and out of impressionposition through the actionof" rocker arms I 9 and 20.

In order to obtain the requisite pressure during the impression,meansi'are'provideddimitirig outward movement of low'ei portionI'ZO'fthe platen. Such means comprise lever arms 28 and 29 pivotallymounted in the respective s'idesiof such outwardn'iovement of thelower-portion of the platen-to ensure firm rollingengagement-of suchplaten-with the form.

Any conventional means may' be employed for driving shaft I 4 andthereby operating :the -press,

such means ionmihg no part rof this invention. Likewise; throweoflrmeans'may be provided similar to'that' -diseussed Johnson Patent No.

2357,1113, datedlAugu'st 29, 1944,. with tshaftz M journalled" in.anieccentric mount,:by angular adiustmentof which theplatentmayzbevprevented from. coming: into impression engagement withthe form;

Tcc'avoidtherpo-ssibility ofiai double impression suchthrow-off"meanssmay, of courseyibe icaused 'tooperate automatica'lly asthe press is op'ened after eaclrimpression, in: the manner-generallydescribedzdnzmy cos-pending application s'erial 'No. 652K631;

It wiilwbe seen that: I=have provided operating mechanism. f ora rollingcontact platen apress Wh-J C11' lSpUSll3lVE andeffici'ent "iniitss'action-but which may he -arranged sonas Ientirel'y toriavoi'dinterference with the ieedingof: sheets t'o .iarrd the delivery ofsheets from the'platen. Of'r'course, if desired, the: positions of' therplatenand" the form bed :may lac-reversed and the :form" bed "tor bothform bed and .platen provided with arcurved surface for rollinggcontact,.although'za ipIEfGIJ-Gd form is illustrated"and-described herein;Likewise, it is possible toprovide the:curved platen with substantiallystraight 'ra'c'k means and to curve the rack means 'on'the main'framelto obtain the desired movement;

Otherrmodes'-0f app1ying the principle of-the invention .may be employedchange being' made as regards. the 'details described, provided thefeatures stated:in-='any' of the following-claims; or the'equivalent 'ofsuchg' be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as'rnyginvention:

1.. .Inapl'aten :printing press of the character described; va''mi'ti'i'izxframe a form-bed carried by said :frame, ;asplaten havinga'lconvexly curved surface adaptedntozmakei rolling contact with a form.:in:saiduform-medKwhen :oscillated into im ,pression positions-rackmeans fontsaid framer to each side of said form-bed and extending belowthe impression portion of said form-bed, a convexly curved downwardlyextending portion on said platen, rack means on said platen to each sideof the impression surface of said platen and continuing along saiddownwardly extending portion below such impression surface, said rackmeans on said 'platen meshmg;;:with said rack means on said frame toposition said platen relative to said form-bed, a shaft rotatablyjournalled in said frame on an axis parallel to said form-bed,

a' cam mounted: on said shaft for rotation therewith, a rocker arm.mounted on said frame and pivotallyiconnecte'd to the upper portion ofsaid platen said .cam being adapted to rock said arm to rock said plateninto and out of impression positions a cam'i track on said frame, a camfollowerlon the lower portion of said platen adapted to travel alongsaid cam track, a lever arm pivotally mounted on said frame andpivotally connected' 'to the lOwerpoftion of "said platen, and

cam means operative to limit movement of said lever "armand"therebyfmovement of said cam follower aion'g/saidcam trackinsyn'ch'ronism with'the rocking of said rocker arm.

2'. I'n'a pla'teniprinting" press 'ofthe character described, a platenconvexlyicurved" andmounted to make rolling contact with aform in theformb'ed"o'f"such' press, a' mainframe, a curved rocker arm pivotallymounted on 'sai'd'ir'ame at "a" point lower-"than any operative positionof said platen and pivotally connected to the 'upperportion'of 'said'platen, such 'curve and *position "of pivotal mountir'rgof saidarm"being seleoted'to' maintain said arm behind the-'line-of thefaceofsaidplaten in all positions ofthe latter; whereby such face is notobstructed and feed and delivery of sheets laterally to said platenisfacilitated,- cam" means operative to reel? said -arm' to rocksaidplaten "into'andout of impression position, a cam track onsaid frame; acam follower-on the lower portion of said platen adaptedto travel'along'said cam track-as said platen is'rocked; a lever'arm pivotallymounted on a said fram'ep link means pivotall y connectingsaid lever armto :the' lower portion 'of'said' platen; and cam :means'operative tolimit movement of said leverarm and thereby movenient' oi' saidcamiollower'along said cam trackin synchronismwith the rocking of saidrockerarm;

35- In: a platenprin-ting pressof-the" character described, a convexly'cu'rved platen mounted to make rolling :contactwith a-form in theifo'rm' bed of such: press, means mounted on the bed of suehpressr-vpivotal-ly engagixigWhe upper portion of saidlplaten operatii' eto rock said platrr'into and out 1 of L impression: position; saidplatenrocking means ibeing located below said-platen in open position:of :said :l-platen' and: :thus t engaging said platen from belowthelatterltoiavoidiobstructing laterahaccess thereto; whereby" feed'and'idelivery of .sheets Ito said: 'platen may b'eifacilitated, andmeans ion :the" bed vof a such' press engaging the lowervportionoffsaidirpiaten adapted -tOLc0ntrO1 in and :O ut movement of the lowertportion of said platen as said-z platen is rocked, saidilastnamed meanscomprising a: guideway engaging the lower portion :of said'i platen :andpower driven Lmeans operative toacontrolrthe position of such. lower rportion: of isaid platen along saidfguideway;

4. In a platen zprintingapress'of ithecharacter described, acurvedplatenmountedito'make'rollwing-contact witlr aiformninftheiformb'ed of such press,:.,a rocker aarm pivotallytfmounted Jon the bed ofsuch press andopivotally connected to'the upper portion of said platen,guide means on such bed engaging the lower portion of said platen in alloperative positions of the latter, cam means operative to rock saidrocker arm to roll said platen across such form, and means on such bedconnected with the lower portion of said platen operative to control theposition of the latter along said guide means in timed relation to suchmovement of said rocker arm.

JOSEPH F. J IROUSEK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date Kuster May 19, 1908 Vandercook May 16, 1911 Clark July 30,1912 Root Feb. 14, 1950 Willett Apr. 22, 1952

